


Master and Apprentice

by james_pwyll



Category: Disney - All Media Types, The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Disney, Gen, Lilith - Freeform, amity, hexside
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23589916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/james_pwyll/pseuds/james_pwyll
Summary: After an attempt to learn some additional spells for herself, Amity soon finds herself speaking with her mentor, Lilith.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 51





	Master and Apprentice

"Okay, Amity...you can do this." The young witch took a few deep breaths, calming her mind as best she could, before slowly raising her hand. Opening her eyes, she kept her gaze squarely on the old wooden stump before her, blocking out anything else in the immediate area that she might otherwise have focused on. Another breath, and then she flattened her palm. "Here goes..." Calling forth the power she'd felt within her for so long, she tapped into her magical abilities, and within just a few moments, a spark. A small flame flickered in the centre of her palm, which slowly grew and grew, until it was about as big as the hand itself. And speaking of that hand, it was shaking now, no doubt because of the difficulty of this magic, forcing Amity to hold onto her wrist with her free hand to keep herself steady. She tried to keep focus, and eventually she finally let loose. With her eyes wide, she saw her conjured flame strike at the side of the stump, causing it to completely engulf. Her face lit up, certain that she had succeeded, but that smile vanished when she saw her flames go out in mere moments, leaving nothing but a scorch mark and little else.

Frustrated, she clenched her fists, and it was here when she felt it. A pain where her flame had come from, causing her to look to her hand properly. Sure enough, there was a mild burn there, but that mildness did not negate the sting she felt from it. This caused panic in her, and she rushed over to the nearby stream. Falling to her knees, she plunged her hand into its cold water, and after panting heavily for a time, she started to calm down as the pain subsided. After a while, she withdrew her hand, seeing the mark that now adorned her palm. Looking to it, Amity sighed, looking disappointed in herself. "Maybe...I should try something else?"

"You needn't worry, Amity. The Titan of the Boiling Isles didn't decompose in a day," a second voice said to her.

With her eyes widening, Amity leapt to her feet, spinning in place and seeing, to her shock, that it was her mentor, the famed witch Lilith. Fearful, Amity clasped her hands behind her back, not only to present the proper image to her teacher, but also to hide her self-inflicted injury. "Oh! Miss Lilith! I...I didn't see you there!"

Taking a step forward, Lilith maintained that calm and collected composure she was so known for. "No. I imagine you didn't." She continued to move forward, her keen eyes already seeing the nervousness with which her protege looked to her. After finally reaching her, and looking down to her in silence for a time, the older witch offered her hand to her. "Let me see."

Though embarrassed, Amity did as requested, placing her burned hand into Lilith's. She watched as the latter looked to the burn for a moment, then used her other hand to place her index finger square into the middle. Unsurprisingly, there was a wince on Amity's part, prompting a nod from Lilith. "Here." With a quick snap of her fingers, she conjured a small and unassuming bottle, which she then handed to her student. "The ointment will help." Still unhappy with having been discovered, Amity nevertheless accepted the bottle, putting a few drops of the salve into her palm. Seeing this, Lilith got to one knee, taking out a long white strip of cloth and wrapping it around the girl's burn. "It's rather odd, me finding you here. Because I distinctly remember telling you that fire magic was above your current leaning level."

Amity looked away, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Yes, Miss Lilith."

"And what was it I said would happen if you attempted it?" Lilith continued to ask.

"...That I would hurt myself, Miss Lilith," Amity answered.

A firm nod from Lilith. "Correct. And what, pray tell, has just happened?"

"...I hurt myself, Miss Lilith," Amity replied with slumped shoulders.

Lilith took a deep breath herself before standing tall again. "You needn't look so worried, my girl. You're not the first student to disobey their mentor, and you certainly won't be the last." Her eyes narrowed, if only slightly. "But you of course know that I must now ask you not to attempt such a thing again. Today, it was a small burn. Tomorrow, it could be something far more damaging."

Amity held herself, still avoiding her teacher's gaze. "I just...I thought I could do it."

Lilith clasped her own hands behind her back, much like Amity had done a few minutes ago. "Ambition and confidence in one's abilities are fine qualities, child. But you should exercise caution when using them." There was silence between the two for a time, and after looking to her student, and seeing her look so sorry for herself, Lilith looked to her own right arm. "It is a lesson hard-learned for many of us."

Amity, at first, didn't know what she was taking about, but all became clear when she saw her teacher roll up her right sleeve. Surprise came to the girl when she saw an unmistakable burn mark on Lilith's now-exposed arm, though it had clearly faded with the passing of many years. Even so, it was far bigger than the one in her own palm, and stretched along almost the entire length of the arm. "Was that...when you were first leaning too?"

Lilith nodded as she unrolled her sleeve, covering her childhood injury once more. "It was. And I assure you, the pain was...considerable. As was my disappointment in myself for having gone against my teachers' warnings." She gave Amity her undivided attention. "I understand that youth can make you feel invincible, but trust me when I say that nothing can be further from the truth. One terrible mistake is all it will take, Amity."

Slowly, Amity stared down at the ground, shame all over her expression. "Y...yes, Miss Lilith."

Lilith studied the young witch closely, and Amity, in turn, recognised that she was being looked over, prompting no exchange of words between them. After a while though, Lilith finally broke that silence. "I have encountered many students at this school in my time, Amity, and there have been few who display the kind of passion for magical learning and practice that you do. While today's little incident proves that you may have a few issues regarding restraint, it's still something to be admired." Amity perked up slightly at the faint praise by her teacher, but stayed utterly quiet as the latter took a single step forward. "Tell me...why is it that you seek to accomplish what you do?"

Amity didn't even let a single second pass before answering. "To be the best witch here at Hexside!"

Lilith nodded in a professional manner. "Oh yes, I've no doubt of that. But to succeed at this school is your end goal, which is not what I asked. I want to know your reasons. Your motives. What is it that compels you to strive so far, even to the point of potentially harming yourself, so that you may rise high here?" The girl didn't know how to answer. Or rather, she did know, but was unwilling to divulge such knowledge, even to her idol. Lilith, though briefly irritated at being denied an answer, was still a keen and intelligent woman. So putting puzzle pieces together was no issue for her. "Word reached my ears some time ago of a certain...incident...at the library."

Instantly, Amity looked terrified. "You...you heard about that?"

In response, Lilith arched an eyebrow. "Few things escape my notice at this school, Amity, as today should well teach you." Seeing her student develop another embarrassed blush, she continued. "If I am to understand, this incident was immediately preceded by an encounter between you and your family?"

To that, Amity grumbled. "Yes, my...my brother and sister."

Lilith nodded. "Tell me...what is your relationship to them, exactly?" Again, her student stayed quiet, but that silence spoke a thousand words, which Lilith read quiet adeptly. "Fear not, Amity. I know as well as anyone how...difficult siblings can be." She cast a glance to the side, her eyes narrowing further. "More than you do, most likely," she muttered under her breath. Then, slowly, she looked back to Amity. "Would your drive to triumph at Hexside perhaps be connected to your less-than-stellar familial connections?"

Amity kept her silence, at least for a time, but eventually, she started to relent, sighing deeply before finally speaking. "It's just...I wanted...I always..."

Things were difficult for her, and Lilith, recognising this, softened in her own tone of voice. "Take your time."

With just that tiny bit of permission, Amity finally started to relax. Looking to the older witch, she saw, perhaps for the first time in her dealings with her, not just a teacher but someone she can actually confide in. And she was sure to use that opportunity. "It's just...all my life, I've wanted to be known for something. I wanted to go on and do great things. I wanted to succeed and accomplish. I wanted to work hard and to have that work lead to me being...being more than what I am right now. I wanted...I wanted..."

"To step out from the shadows of others," Lilith finished.

Amity looked to her, half surprised but also knowing full-well that her teacher had seen her reasons right from the start. "Yes. I...I wanted to stand out. I didn't just want my life to be just fading into the background without ever having done anything that people will remember."

Lilith gave a slow nod, and then produced something from behind her back. To Amity's slight concern, it was a book that had been in her possession for a while now. The fifth entry of the Good Witch Azura series. With her nerves returning to her, Amity awaited what her teacher might say. Instead of condemnation or mockery however, Lilith spoke calmly. "I imagine stories like this would speak rather well to you then. Tales of witches accomplishing great deeds and being known as heroes. A fine dream, and not without merit." After looking to the cover for a moment, Lilith again glanced to Amity, and silently offered her book back to her. After just a brief bout of hesitation, the young witch accepted it, holding the book close to her while Lilith kept her eyes on her. "Try to be careful with it, Miss Blight. That Luz girl wouldn't be all to happy if it got damaged before you returned it to her."

Amity stumbled there. "You...you're not mad I've been talking with her?"

Lilith considered that for a moment before answering. "I have no intention of fostering rivalries or dislikes between the students here. The girl has chosen some...unfortunate company, but I suppose there's a certain...endearing quirkiness to her," she said, though almost reluctantly. But her gaze became sterner shortly afterwards. "Be wary of who teaches her though. My sister can be...unpredictable."

Amity nodded. "I suppose you know her better than anyone."

Lilith nodded back. "Alas, you're not wrong." Looking around, specifically to the barely-scorched stump nearby, Lilith considered her options, then looked down to her apprentice. "Since there is every possibility that you will make some attempt to further your magical skills, regardless of the danger, perhaps it would be better for me to remain beside you for the time being. See your attempts. Perhaps offer a few words here and there when you try it? Or perhaps step in if things go...awry?"

Slowly, Amity smiled to her. "I'd be honored, Miss Lilith." But then, after just a second, her smile faded, and she held her book closer to her. "And...can I ask something?" Seeing Lilith raise an eyebrow to her, the girl continued. "Could you...please not make me cheat again?"

Lilith, for perhaps the first time since Amity had known her, actually looked embarrassed, though she certainly did a good job of hiding most of that feeling. When about a full minute of silence had passed, the older witch stepped forward, gently placing her hand upon her student's shoulder. "Trust me, Amity. By the time you're done learning from me...cheating will be the last thing you'll need to do."


End file.
